On a roller coaster first day at Newlands, Cape Town, it was Mitchell Starc‘s 6-wicket haul that was the highlight of the day in the end in the evening session. Mitchell Starc’s 6 wickets included the last 4 wickets with the second new ball. South Africa dominated the first session as Marques Ackerman made 95 and Aiden Markram made 78, while David Bedingham made 50. Later, Marco Jansen made 52 and Ryan Rickelton made 42.
But they were all overshadowed by the brilliance of Mitchell Starc, who finished with his 20th five-wicket haul and 6 in the innings and was ably supported by Nathan Lyon, who picked up 2 wickets while Josh Hazlewood picked up one wicket. South Africa were bowled out for 329 in 82.3 overs at the end of the day.
Marques Ackerman & Aiden Markram Punish Australia In Morning Session
Put into bat first by Pat Cummins, Marques Ackerman and Aiden Markram came out to open the batting for South Africa while Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand for Australia. Starc started with a maiden. Josh Hazlewood had the ball in hand from the other end. Hazlewood bowled a tight over as well. Starc continued as Markram clipped the ball off the pads through square leg for a boundary. Markram punched it through the point region for a boundary. Hazlewood continued as Ackerman hung back and glanced it away for a boundary.
Starc continued as Ackerman flicked it away through square leg for a boundary. Hazlewood bowled a decent over as well. Starc too kept things tight. Captain Pat Cummins came into the attack next. Markram took on Cummins and pulled it over midwicket for the first maximum of the Test match. Starc continued as Markram leaned into the cover drive for a boundary. Cummins continued as Markram punched it through covers for a boundary. South Africa were 41/0 in 10 overs.
Spin was introduced next as Nathan Lyon came into the attack. Lyon bowled a decent first over. Cummins continued as Markram stood tall and pulled it behind square for a boundary. Lyon continued as the 50 came up for South Africa in 12.3 overs and of the partnership as well. Cummins continued and bowled a decent over. South Africa reached 53/0 in 14 overs when we paused for Drinks in the morning session.
Hazlewood returned after the break as Ackerman welcomed him back with a boundary as a slash went over gully for a boundary. Ackerman hung back and dabbed it past Green at gully for a boundary. Nathan Lyon continued as Ackerman took on Lyon as he stepped out and launched it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Hazlewood continued and bowled a quiet over. Lyon continued as Ackerman got down on one knee and reverse-swept it away over backward point for a boundary. Ackerman rocked back and got on top of the bounce to punch it through covers for a boundary.
Hazlewood delivered a maiden next. Cummins returned to the attack and bowled a quiet over. Hazlewood continued as Ackerman reached his maiden Test fifty in 62 balls. Markram drove the ball through the covers for a boundary. Cummins continued as Ackerman took him on by first helping it on its way past fine leg for the maximum and then tickled it away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. The 100 came up for South Africa in 22 overs. Starc continued as Markram was put down by Head at cover when batting on 39*.
Lyon returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. Starc continued as Ackerman slashed it away for a boundary past the backward point region. Ackerman then shuffled across and flicked it away past the midwicket region for a boundary. Ackerman made it a hat-trick of boundaries with a ramp over third slip for a boundary. He got another boundary with a square cut past deep third man for a boundary.
Lyon continued as Markram cut it away through cover point for a boundary. Markram again hit Lyon with a punch through covers for a boundary as Markram got to his fifty, his 15th in Tests off 81 balls. Cummins continued and bowled the last over before Lunch as Markram ended the session with a boundary with an outside edge past second slip and away to the fence. South Africa reached 140/0 in 27 overs with Markram unbeaten on 56 off 87 balls and Ackerman unbeaten on 82 off 75 balls as the players left the field for Lunch on Day 1.
Nathan Lyon inspires Australia to make a roaring comeback in the afternoon session
Marques Ackerman and Aiden Markram came out to resume proceedings for South Africa while Nathan Lyon started the proceedings after the break for Australia. Ackerman got a lifeline as Lyon put down a tough chance of his own bowling. Pat Cummins operated from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Lyon continued as the 150-run stand came up and for the team in 29.3 overs. Cummins continued as Ackerman went for the hook shot and the ball evaded Carey for a boundary.
Lyon continued as Ackeman lost his patience and gave his wicket away stumped for 95 off 94 balls with 12 fours and 2 sixes to his name as Carey did the rest. David Bedingham came out to bat next as he survived a stumping check. Cummins continued and bowled a maiden. Hazlewood continued as Bedingham drove it through covers and backward point for a boundary. Starc returned to the attack as Markram drove it in front of square for a boundary.
Hazlewood continued as Bedingham hit a glorious straight drive past the bowler for a boundary. Starc continued and overstepped before Bedingham cut it behind square for a boundary. Lyon continued and bowled a decent over. Starc bowled a decent over as well. Lyon too kept it tight as South Africa reached 192/1 in 40 overs when we paused for Drinks in the afternoon session.
Starc continued after the break and bowled a tight over. Lyon too kept things tight. Hazlewood came back as Bedingham on drove the ball past Marnus at silly mid-on and away for a boundary. Bedingham drove it between covers and mid-off for a boundary. The 200 came up for South Africa in 43 overs. Lyon continued and bowled a quiet over. Hazlewood continued and provided the breakthrough for the Aussies as he removed the big fish Markram for 78 off 141 balls with 10 fours and one six to his name with a short ball as Starc plucked out a blinder at fine leg.
Captain Temba Bavuma came out to bat next. Hazlewood finished his successful wicket maiden over. Lyon continued and knocked Bavuma over for a 3-ball duck as Aussies roared back into the contest. Matthew Breetzke came out to bat next and got off the mark as well straightaway. Hazlewood continued and delivered a maiden over. Lyon also kept things tight. Cummins returned to the attack and kept the runs under check.
Cooper Connolly came into the attack for the first time today. He bowled a decent first over. Cummins continued as Bedingham pressed forward and crunched it between covers and mid-off for a boundary. Connolly continued and broke through as he removed Breetzke for 2 off 12 balls LBW thanks to great usage of DRS. The umpire gave it NOT OUT on the field. The Aussies reviewed and got the decision in their favour. Ryan Rickelton came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Cummins continued to bowl the last over before the Tea Break and bowled a decent over. South Africa reached 221/4 in 53 overs with Bedingham unbeaten on 41 off 64 balls alongside Rickelton unbeaten on 2 off 5 balls when the players walked off for Tea on Day 1 at Cape Town.
Mitchell Starc roars with 6 wickets as South Africa get bowled out for 329 in 82.3 overs
David Bedingham and Ryan Rickelton came out to resume the proceedings after Tea while Cooper Connolly had the ball in hand for Australia. Bedingham hit the first boundary of the evening session as he swept it away past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Mitchell Starc had the ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Connolly continued as Bedingham reached his half-century in 78 balls.
Starc continued and broke through for the Aussies as Bedingham went after the short ball and was caught brilliantly by Hazlewood at deep fine leg as Bedingham fell for 50 off 80 balls with 7 fours to his name. Wiaan Mulder came out to bat next. Starc had two in the over as he dismissed Mulder for a silver duck as he fended it off to the keeper Carey. Marco Jansen came out to bat next as a double wicket maiden over came to an end.
Cummins continued and bowled a maiden. Starc too kept things under check. Cummins continued as Jansen punched it past backward point for a boundary. Starc continued as Jansen punched it square of the wicket for a boundary towards deep backward point. Rickelton got hit on the left glove and was treated by the physio for quite a while.
Lyon returned to the attack as Rickelton flicked it away past short fine leg for a boundary. Rickelton survived a LBW call against Lyon as the inside edge saved him as the Australians lost a review. Cummins changed ends as Rickelton drove it past mid-off for a boundary. Lyon continued and bowled another probing over. Cummins continued as Jansen pulled him away in front of square past Marnus for a boundary. Lyon continued as Rickelton leaned forward and flicked it away past midwicket for a boundary.
Josh Hazlewood came back into the attack as Rickelton welcomed him back with a cut towards the point fence for a boundary. South Africa were 274/6 in 67 overs when we paused for the Drinks Break in the evening session. Nathan Lyon continued after the break and bowled a quiet over. Hazlewood continued as Jansen got on top of the bounce and punched it through cover point for a boundary. Jansen then rode the bounce and punched it past covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Connolly came back into the attack and a ball kept low that went away for 4 byes to the batting side. Hazlewood continued and bowled a quiet over. Matthew Renshaw came into the attack for the first time in this innings. Rickelton drove the ball straight down the ground for a boundary at mid-on. Connolly changed ends as Jansen got underneath it and slammed it past the right of mid-on for a boundary. The 300 came up for South Africa in 72.5 overs.
Lyon returned to the attack and bowled a maiden. Connolly continued and delivered a decent over. Lyon bowled another quiet over. Connolly bowled another decent over. Lyon bowled a probing over as well. Connolly continued as Jansen rocked back and pulled it away over the midwicket region for a boundary. Jansen brought up his fifty in 66 balls as he made it back-to-back fifties. Lyon continued and bowled a quiet over as the second new ball was now due at 325/6 in 80 overs.
Mitchell Starc returned and took the second new ball straightaway. He got the breakthrough and reward straightaway as he dismissed Rickelton for 42 off 83 balls with 5 fours to his name LBW as it was plumb in front and no need of DRS. Simon Harmer came out to bat next. Starc had two in the over as he cleaned up Jansen, the other set batter for 52 off 71 balls with 7 fours to his name. Gerald Coetzee came out to bat next. Pat Cummins shared the second new ball from the other end. He conceded a wide but bowled a decent over.
Starc continued and got another as he cleaned up Coetzee for a golden duck and completed his 20th five-wicket haul. Kagiso Rabada came and survived the hat-trick ball. But Starc finished with a 6-wicket haul and finished things off in style. He pinged Rabada in front for a second-ball duck as Starc cleaned up the tail and the last 6 wickets as well. Harmer remained unbeaten on 0 off 7 balls as South Africa were bowled out for 329 in 82.3 overs, losing their last 4 wickets for 4 runs. 10 extras given by the Aussies.
The star of the show for Australia, particularly in the last session, was Mitchell Starc as he got all 6 wickets to fall in the final session. He finished with 6/72 in 16.3 overs. Nathan Lyon chipped in with 2/71 in 23 overs. Josh Hazlewood chipped in with 1/59 in 15 overs. Cooper Connolly finished with 1/41 in 9 overs. Captain Pat Cummins finished with 0/73 in 18 overs as he remained wicketless. Matthew Renshaw bowled an over for 5 runs. So, the first innings was over, and we went to Stumps on Day 1.
What Lies Ahead on Day 2
What a roller coaster of a first day we have had at Newlands, Cape Town. South Africa dominated the first session before Australia, through Nathan Lyon in the afternoon session and Mitchell Starc in the evening session, roared back into the contest with Starc finishing with 6 wickets. Australia will be the happier side as the last 4 wickets fell for 4 runs. South Africa will feel they let the advantage slip after Lunch.
Day 2 is a new day, and all eyes will be on the Australian batting against the Proteas batting. The Test match is nicely set up, and according to the forecast, we are unlikely to have interruptions in this match. An important cracking Day 2 awaits us now. Let’s see how the second day’s play shapes up from here.
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